The archdiocese set up the foundation to commemorate the cardinal who died last April. It will provide scholarships to Korean lay missionaries in Southeast Asia and, through a dedicated centre, support the work of Korean artists in favour of the inculturation of the faith.
Seoul (AsiaNews) – The Archdiocese of Seoul has set up a foundation in memory of Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk to support the laity in their missionary vocation.
The prelate, who passed away on 27 April, led the archdiocese from 1998 to 2012. During his magisterium, he insisted on the duty of every faithful to live the mission, which is a treasure for the whole Church.
The Nicholas Cheong Missionary Scholarship Foundation will help lay people respond to the call to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world, paying close attention to inculturation of the faith through artistic expressions.
The Foundation will grant scholarships for ten years, until 2031, the year of the centenary of the birth of Cardinal Cheong, to Korean Catholic lay missionaries already engaged in evangelisation activities in Southeast Asia.
A commission will examine applications and award scholarships each year on 6 December, the feast of Saint Nicholas.
In addition, it will open a Support Centre for Catholic Arts, which will offer Catholic artists financial support and other forms of aid for their sacred art projects.
The idea for such a foundation came, among other thing, during a meeting 10 years ago between the cardinal and the Korean Catholic actress Maria Magdalena Ji-young Kim.
The latter was strongly impressed by his words when he spoke to her about the mission as the reference point for all the words and actions of his life.
Some time later she donated US$ 34,000 for the missionary work by the archdiocese.